Traction w/DP

[etruitt]

Just purchased DP and wander if it will have more traction that a gas model on back roads and in bad weather than a gas model with front engine and rear wheel drive. Hope to be able to use forest service campgrounds and back roads. Getting ready for Xcountry trip leaving on Sunday. heading for OR and want to cut cut costs any way we can! Please advise!

[carringb]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Good Sam will pull you out -- FREE

No, GoodSam will only cover 1-hour of winching. This would be about enough to get a large rig unstuck from wet grass. Get the drive axle high-centered, or off an embankment, and it can be MANY hours. The clock doesn't start when the winch-line starts pulling. The vast majority of the time is usually spend setting up winch-line, establishing anchors, trimming back vegetation, filling in low spots etc.

Good Same Platinum Benefits wrote:
For each disablement event under this agreement, member is
entitled to a maximum of one hour of either Towing Preparation
Services or Recovery Services.

They also define the limitations of their coverage area:

An off-road area is defined as an area OFF of any of the following: hardpacked or graded dirt public road, paved street, driveway, parking lot, highway, freeway, expressway or adjacent shoulder.

Forest Service roads generally fall under "graded dirt public road", but you have to be careful because some "public roads" may intermittently become private timber company roads. This is VERY common here, and it only designated by a small 4" marker on the side of the road. Sometimes the "not currently maintained" card is thrown out too.

[bshpilot]

get a coach like this - both of the rear axles are driven and each axles diffs can be locked (independent of the other). additionally both axles can be locked TOGETHER....think 4 wheel drive (in the rear) !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331263565672

[Big_Katuna]

In a 30K pound DP, I wince when I drive off pavement. You can crush culverts in residential driveways. When it rains at the Perry FMCA rally they bring in big articulated front end loaders to pull DPs out of the mud.

In state parks and fed parks I usually trust the road bed. It's the trees, clearance and site length I run into problems with. I am switching back to a 28-30 TT and a truck when man up and eat my depreciation.

[ferndaleflyer]

Good Sam will pull you out -- FREE

[bluwtr49]

For the intended purposes stated, I would go with a gasser. Now sense wasting a good DP.

[carringb]

Weight is not your friend off-road. I've been on diesel pusher winch-outs where a VW beetle would have driven right trough.

To be honest though, I though you'll have a much bigger problem with turning clearance and overhead obstructions. Most of the forest service roads here are pretty well maintained. Ground clearance can be useful for some of the drainages cut across them. They can get tight though.

To be honest, if you want to save on camping, you may be better off at Wally Worlds. A big motorhome winch-out can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending how far out you are and how stuck you are.

[obgraham]

Though I'm sure some folks do it, there is nothing I see about a diesel pusher that says "off road traveler".

Get the rig designed to go where you want to go.

[Donna_and_Rob]

Why do I see Robin Williams plastered to the front of his motorhome?:B

[Trackrig]

The biggest traction problem in a MH is the straight highway tread on the drivers - that's why they get stuck on wet grass. When you change the rear tires, get a slightly more aggressive tread. If they make any more noise than the normal (almost) slick standard tires, you won't hear it over the DP anyways. And yes, they may get just a few less miles than a normal highway tread, but they'll need changing due to age long before you wear the tread off of them.

I've been on a lot of wet ground and in a couple of inches of snow with mine twice and I sure appreciated them. Did the Continental Divide up at Steamboat Springs in a snow storm this spring. We pulled off when we found a good spot, but didn't have any problems getting to a pull off. Left the MH up on top and took the Jeep down to Steamboat for the afternoon to eat and look around.

Bill

[imgoin4it]

I got stuck in a city RV park with grass spots right after a good rain. Had no traction at all. Had to be towed out. My traveling friends got stuck in another RV park in Canada where we were laying up waiting for better weather. He slipped off the edge of the pavement onto a couple inches of snow coveted soft shoulder. He had to be towed out. From those two experiences I'm staying on solid decent roads.

[robatthelake]

Not just the Oil Pan ,but also beware of the bottom of a Side Mounted Radiator! No way would I go Off Pavement around here. even the Gravel Roads used by the Logging Companies have too many Dips and Rocks for safe travel .

[ferndaleflyer]

I live 20 mi from Sanford on 42. The advice about the oil pan hitting is very true---the state had a ditch across the road and motioned me through in my DP and when the wheels went down in the ditch my oil pan hit and had to be replaced.....Snow----just don't get out of the tracks--I have twice a long time ago laid a class C on its side in the snow while skiing in WV and MD---twice! Not much damage but got out of the tracks and it just sucked me over into the ditch and laid over on its side. DP has most of the weight on the drive wheels but they aren't made for mud bogging.

[bshpilot]

when in doubt SCOUT it out....take your toad in 1st and determine if clearance or foundation are issues.
Ive seen people get stuck in wet grass when its rained a lot, gas or diesel doesnt matter you're still talking about a lot of weight.

[BigRabbitMan]

Dale.Traveling wrote:
Also I really, really, really try to avoid getting into situations where I might be concerned about the traction of the drive axle.

I second this thought! It is highly unlikely that traction will ever be an issue in the types of places that you mentioned. They all have roads: some are paved, some are gravel, but all are packed by other motorhomes. The only time I have ever thought or consided traction as an issue is when I encountered snow on the Interstate Hwy.

Forget about traction as an issue: buy what floorplan and type of coach that fits your budget and travel, travel, travel.